Paint Me In Screaming Colors
by Light1172
Summary: Dawn's an aspiring artist lost in her own world. Paul's a moody guitarist with a habit of watching the girl with the paintbrush. She paints a picture, he sings a song, and maybe, just maybe, they can help each other out in more ways than one.
1. Prologue

The perks of going to a school focused on art included free canvases, paints, pastels, watercolors, clay, glazes and every other supply needed to make something outstanding. Dawn loved her school. She loved the seemingly unlimited supply of materials and tools and how she could paint without having to worry about money and how much the canvas cost or how she was running out of blue paint. There was so much freedom at Aime's Academy of Arts and the relief that came with that freedom was exhilarating. Dawn knew that the scholarship she had received from the school was the best thing that had ever happened to her. Not a day went by that Dawn wasn't thankful for this opportunity.

It wasn't easy being a scholarship student. Dawn had to work harder and be better than other students to prove that she belonged with them at the school. She studied and studied hard. She painted and sketched and painted some more and then dabbled in clay molding and pottery making. Art was Dawn's rock, her strength in a difficult world, and Dawn vowed she wouldn't lose her spot at the academy.

Academics were her weak spot. Math and science were the two subjects Dawn detested the most. English and History were decent but she still struggled on the factual stuff. Symbolism was fun, but that was just Dawn's inner artist speaking. She was good at winging things and improvising and that was the only reason Dawn had gotten into AP Literature and Writing. Reading articles and analyzing them frustrated the blunette. Those four core classes were required and Dawn spent every free minute dedicating herself to the homework assigned and working everything out. Only then would Dawn escape to an art room to practice her skills.

Dawn would lose herself in the art and forget the time. Sometimes she almost missed curfew. It wasn't unusual for her to miss meals; skipping breakfast, lunch, or dinner was something the girl did regularly. It wasn't healthy, but it was worth it. The blunette had her own corner, her own brushes, and her many canvases. Painting was her life. Nothing mattered more.

It was because of this that she didn't have many friends. Dawn was classified as 'odd' and 'strange' from the very beginning. She wore scuffed up Converses, faded and ripped jeans with paint stains, and shirts that were solid in color so it didn't matter if paint or wet clay splashed onto them. It was clear Dawn was there through the school's money. In her freshman and sophomore years she was picked on by upperclassmen and now, in her junior year, Dawn was finally free from the majority of the teasing and pushing around.

Junior year changed one month in. The day was normal enough, for Dawn at least, minus the curious whispers in the hallway that she ignored. She went to her classes, did her work, and focused on her latest sketch; a dragon with wings spread wide and flames coming out of its snapping jaws. It looked, for lack of a better word, amazing… considering it was in pencil and black pen and not colored ink or watercolors. Color would have made the dragon into something stunning. Dawn's sketch was done in Sinnoh History, AP Literature and Writing, and Algebra 2 and was finished in the first five minutes of Art. Dawn was so preoccupied that she never noticed the boy sitting near her in three of those classes.

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**This is another Pokémon story of mine (Yay for Ikarishipping!) and this is the prologue. This will be a chapter story, but I doubt it will go over ten chapters... Well, if I stick to the outline I've created. I've got two chapters written and the rest planned out. Anyway, Dawn will be out of character because I think a shy side of her isn't something often seen and I want to explore that. Paul will talk a little more and be a little nicer because it helps the flow of things. Let me know what you think! **

**PLEASE REVIEW. It means the world to me. I love reviews, even if they aren't super positive. I want to better my writing so any constructed criticism will be welcomed. Thank you for reading, and even more if you review. -Light**


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

* * *

Dawn's attention was caught the next day in AP Lit and Writing. The teacher announced the latest project—a collaboration story, at least five thousand words, with a beginning, middle and end—and started to pair people up. It wasn't unusual for Dawn to work alone, despite the teacher's attempts to get the dewy-eyed girl to socialize, so the blunette wasn't very worried about the assignment. She could manage it on her own. There weren't any problems there.

"…Gary and Drew, Brianna and Angie, and Dawn and Paul." Miss Katis finished the list with a small smile. Dawn's head snapped up to look at the young teacher. She was panicking when Miss Katis came over with an explanation. "Dawn, I know you prefer to work alone, but we now have an even number of people in the class and you don't want to leave Paul without a partner, right?"

Dawn shook her head, glanced down at the rubric, and then bit her lip. She needed the grade, and preferably a good one. Her fingers shook ever so slightly as folded a crease into the paper. "I'm sorry Miss Katis. I'll work with Paul."

There was a tall boy behind the teacher and when his eyes met Dawn's a shiver ran through her. It wasn't that he was glaring; it was more so the fact that he was looking at her like she was a puzzle or a specimen to be dissected. Dawn didn't like the feeling that she was under a microscope. His eyes were dark, his clothes were dark, and he seemed like the classic 'bad boy' type. To distract herself, Dawn pulled out a notebook and a pencil with an eraser. Dawn felt Paul's stare shift and then she saw him sit down next to her out of the corner of her eye.

"I'm Paul. We haven't been introduced properly." Dawn wasn't a bit surprised by the indifference in Paul's voice. Obviously he wasn't excited to be working with her. Paul continued, "What story do you want to write?"

Dawn shrugged, but then looked at Paul more curiously. "I dunno... Maybe something about a starving artist? The stereotypical image I mean. I can write something decent with that."

She saw Paul frown and heard his heavy exhale and her face settled to mirror his. Dawn's eyes trailed to the floor. She hadn't meant to offend or upset him in any way! "I mean, we don't have to, it was just an opinion. Ack, I'll shut up now."

"Troublesome girl." Paul grumbled out loud. He shook his head, purple hair falling over his eyes, and leaned back in his seat. "Stop apologizing."

Dawn fell silent. Her pencil flew across the paper in a whirl of shapes. Dawn was embarrassed by her words and she focused on the paper in front of her. She sketched when nervous. Next to her the purple haired boy groaned. Dawn's pencil slipped.

"Is art all you think about?" Paul asked the blunette. Dawn turned her face to Paul and considered his words. The truth was that she didn't have many thoughts that related to 'normal' teens. Dawn wasn't concerned with clothes or make-up or having fun on weekends. She liked the idea of those things but kept herself separate. No, art wasn't all she thought about, but it was the most crucial thing to her. Keeping up on learning art skills and then graduating with honors was Dawn's top priority. Art was the only thing that truly mattered.

"No." Dawn whispered, but her mind was already skipping and jumping to different ideas about what she could create out of the new sketch on the paper in front of her. Distractedly she added, "I just love art beyond all else."

Paul scoffed. Dawn could feel Paul's eyes on her drawing and so she ducked and moved her arms to cover it. It wasn't people-worthy yet. Dawn was very particular about what pieces she showed people because she had to keep up the image of the especially gifted honor student.

"A painter by day, a villain by night." Paul presented the idea to Dawn bluntly and without hesitation.

Dawn brightened. "A painter that never remembers the night's actions and so he goes about living as usual and only one person—the "good" guy—suspects him! No one else thinks it's him because he's so normal during the day. His goal is to make the world a beautiful place, no matter the cost. And his villain alter ego has a cult-like following which is growing larger."

"Sure." Paul said simply. His dark eyes didn't leave Dawn's small form.

Dawn wanted to write the outline and so Paul let her. She started writing down possible plot lines and character names that Paul could look over in his spare time. The penned words were neat and tidy, with loops and curls in places that made a person sure it was a girl's handwriting, and the lists were all titled and ready for reading at any time. Dawn chewed on the inside of her cheek as she brainstormed. A few more names were added and Dawn handed the page to Paul.

"I like the names Dell and Adane." Dawn told the plum-haired teenager. Their hands brushed in the exchange and Dawn looked away. Paul was a hard worker, judging by his calloused hands, in a more physical way than Dawn. A passing thought questioned if Paul was a strings musician. It would explain the rough tips of his fingers.

"I'll look them over." Paul promised Dawn. He wasn't very friendly, but that wasn't a bad thing. Fewer friends, less distractions, and that only led to more time to focus on art and studying.

Dawn gathered her books and slipped them into a pale pink messenger bag. At Paul's questioning glance she told him, "The bell will ring in five seconds. You best pack up."

"Five seconds?" Paul looked on with unreadable features and it seemed to Dawn that Paul couldn't care less about her exact answer. Dawn counted in her head and the bell rang just as she had said it would. Dawn moved to the door, shot a quick look at Paul, and fled from the boy who might want to talk to her more. Before he could call out after her, Dawn disappeared in the rush of students with a quiet laugh at the look on his face.

**.**

**.**

**.**

In Art, Dawn ignored Paul's look. When he turned to his project Dawn breathed a silent sigh of relief. In the afternoon, Dawn figured out that she didn't share any more classes with the obsidian-eyed and plum-haired man. That was good. She wasn't sure how she could deal with being in close contact with him for hours at a time.

Dawn knew four facts to be true. It was a fact that Paul was attractive. Second, it was a fact that he had unreadable features and he never let emotion show. Third, he already had a fan base and Dawn was now disliked for being his partner in English. Last, but not least, his gaze sent shivers down her spine and not necessarily in a good way. And he had a terrible nick-name for her.

And then, while sketching later that evening, Dawn couldn't help but think that Paul would be an excellent model. His eyes themselves would be fun to draw. His dark eyes, his sharp features, his mouth set in a line… maybe she would draw him. It would be an interesting experience and he definitely deserved it. After all, who in their right mind would call someone else 'Troublesome'?

* * *

**Heyyy I'm back! I'd like to dedicate this chapter to RogueCupcake. Her review made me really happy and so I'm updating early! I'd like to thank those that followed and favorited my story as well because my day gets a bit brighter whenever I see a Fanfiction Alert in my inbox. -Light**


	3. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter Two for everyone!**

* * *

The next morning, at the time where many people were just starting to wake up or rolling over to put their alarm clocks on snooze, Dawn was heading to the basement to get cloth. She was creating a piece of 'pop-art' and planned to use a few shades of blue, pink, and brown cloth, plus a sheer shimmery white cloth. The piece was to be titled 'Reflections' and it featured a girl dressed in pink and brown with blue hair staring at a younger version of herself in the mirror. The younger girl was surrounded by dark paint; blacks, deep violet, navy blue, and a bit of charcoal gray. The older girl, outside of the dark mirror, was in a field with a dragon at her side and flowers near her feet. The cloth was for decorating the sky, the girls' clothing, faces, and hair, and for backing the quotes Dawn was planning on using. The dragon would be silver and white with a splash of gold glitter. And there would be a dream catcher somewhere. Dream catchers were cool and the myths that went along with them were fascinating.

"All my life… you were the mirror of my soul." Dawn had been thinking of the best quotes to use all night. Now she whispered them as she traveled down a long hallway. The words were right, she just knew it. "This is the road to ruin and I'm starting at the end..."

Dawn was so caught up in her imagination that she almost missed the sounds of a guitar coming from a nearby room. Sneaking over to the room silently, Dawn peeked into Music Room 2A to investigate. Her eyes widened. It was Paul who was making music. He stopped for a moment and Dawn worried that he had seen her, but he shifted his hands and continued playing.

Paul was humming a tune and jotting notes down on a paper and Dawn stared in awe as he played a few more notes on his guitar. Dawn saw him practice a line, replay it, and test it again on a different key. Again Paul jotted down some notes. Dawn was amazed. She had never seen anyone actually compose music. Yeah, sure, some of the people at the school have original songs, but seeing one in the making was a totally different story.

When he started singing, Dawn strained her ears to listen. His voice was soft and clear, but the walls muffled it.

"I'm tired of being what you want me to be  
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface  
Don't know what you're expecting of me  
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes  
Every step that I take is another mistake to you..."

The singing stopped but the strumming continued. Then there was movement inside the room and Dawn tried to get away. She didn't want to be caught eavesdropping and she still needed to get the materials for her painting. In her haste, Dawn tripped as she left and fell with a noise of pain. She stumbled as she got up and heard a door being opened. Blue hair whipped as Dawn sprinted and turned around a corner. She didn't know if Paul had seen her or not. Dawn didn't stop running until she reached the nearest girl's bathroom and was able to hide.

.

.

.

When she deemed the coast safe, Dawn went to the basement, picked out the necessary materials, and made it to her art room right as the morning breakfast bell rang. It was a Thursday which meant an extra early morning painting studio was all hers if she wished. Dawn set up and got to work. She never noticed the purple-haired boy in the shadows watching her paint. If she had seen him there would no doubt be apologizing and embarrassment and complete awkwardness and so the knowing boy hid by the door.

It was better for him to watch her quietly in her element rather than interrupt and distract her. And when she went to brush loose hair from her face and green paint appeared on her cheek the shadowed teen almost wanted to wipe it away. The feeling was foreign and he didn't like it. Paul turned and left the humming girl.

.

.

.

Dawn slipped into the English class right as the bell rang. Thank goodness she wasn't late… A detention would be terrible. She sat down in her seat silently and took the paper that was pushed her way. One word was written on it; Leander, it said. Dawn looked questioningly at Paul as if asking for clarification. Paul took the paper back and elaborated.

**Leander. The painter's name.**

Miss Katis finished up the instructions for the day and Dawn turned to Paul. She asked, "Why Leander?"

"It sounds better than Dell or Adane." Paul shrugged indifferently. His eyes wandered around the room.

"Fine," Dawn huffed. "But I get to pick his evil name. And no complaining about it!"

"Alright." Paul said as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes closed and Dawn frowned. She didn't approve of Paul's nonchalant attitude toward this project.

"How about… Brushozuri. Sorta like that villain from the old TV show, the one with the ink and minions of bright colors." Dawn felt a flash of inspiration as she said that and immediately turned to put ideas to paper. She looked up and glared at Paul when he next spoke.

"Brushozuri?" Paul questioned with one eyebrow raised. "Seriously?"

"Yes! Yes, seriously!" Dawn told Paul stubbornly. "He can be Leander for you and Brushozuri for me."

"This guy won't have 'minions of bright colors'," Paul told Dawn with a scowl, "and he's not a rip-off villain from a TV show."

"I never said that…" Dawn complained. "Leander will be handsome with dark green hair and gray eyes and he'll be completely normal during the day with powers at night. He gets coffee from the local coffee shop each morning and then he goes to his studio and does artsy stuff and he never realizes that the guy who's in the papers is him. Oooh and the detective in charge of finding Brushozumi's real identity will slowly understand his ideals until she completely gets where he's coming from and she's hesitant to turn him in when she does get his real name. But then, then he hurts her boyfriend or something one night and then she turns him in and he's stuck in jail for the rest of his life."

Paul's facial features were unreadable. "Artsy stuff? Really, Troublesome?"

Dawn scowled. "That's all you got from that rant? You've got to be joking."

"Why are we including the detective?" Paul questioned, ignoring Dawn's frustrated words.

"Because there needs to be some tension! Yin and yang, fire and water, night and day, so on and so forth," Here Dawn waved a hand dismissively. "We need there to be some action, duh, and having a detective would be perfect! And it can't be a guy. There's no possibility for a bromance or a proper understanding between two opposite guys so it has to be a girl."

"Tch. Of course you'd think that way." Paul stared at Dawn's notebook where she was drawing a little boy running from something or someone. Dawn wasn't even aware that she was doing it.

"What are you talking about?" Dawn protested. "What do you mean 'of course you'd think that way'? What would you rather me think?"

"Be quiet Troublesome!" Paul growled. He turned his stormy eyes from the blue-eyed female and glared at her pencil which continuously tapped, tapped, tapped against the metal rings of the pink notebook.

Dawn bit her tongue and resisted the urge to say something in response. Her eyes suddenly hurt. The blunette could feel the glares of her female classmates and tried to shrink into herself. Sunset on a beach. A phoenix trailing fire in the sky above roaring and crashing waves. A little girl staring at the colors in awe. Magic and mystery on a canvas. Take deep breaths, Dawn reminded herself, take deep breaths and relax.

Dawn used her usual methods to calm down, very aware that Paul was staring at her. Once her eyes stopped burning and her breaths came even she turned to Paul. "I'd… appreciate it… if you called me Dawn and not Troublesome."

"Tch. You're Troublesome. The end." Paul's words were a bit harsh and Dawn's pencil tapped harder against the notebook. "Now, project."

"I… yes, of course." Dawn mumbled.

As the class came to a close Dawn and Paul hadn't progressed much past names and characters. As Dawn packed up her books she couldn't help but frown. This project was much more difficult with a partner. The bell rang and Dawn headed out and to Algebra 2.

.

.

.

It wasn't until that evening that Dawn found a note in the side pocket of her bag. Dawn picked up the green Post-It note and held it up to the light.

**Troublesome.**

**KIM Username: pshinji**

**981.211.1002**

**So we can work on the project**

**and actually ge****t stuff done.**

**-Paul**

Dawn smiled brightly. Maybe Paul did want a good grade after all. She loaded his number into her old Samsung Alias 2 and logged onto her school computer. After adding his email to her contacts Dawn sent off a text to the obsidian-eyed teenager.

_Hey! It's Dawn. I found your note. –DeLight_

Her phone buzzed not long after and Dawn checked it. There was only one word in the message and it was enough to make Dawn scowl.

_DeLight?_

Dawn's fingers flew across the keys and sent her message within seconds.

_Childhood nickname. Leave it alone. I'll talk to you tomorrow in class. Goodnight. -DeLight_

It didn't matter that her message was choppy and that Dawn wasn't quite ready to sleep. She turned her phone on silent and plugged it into the charger. The lights went off after Dawn took a quick shower and her wet hair dampened her pillow. Despite it being a quiet night and her being tired, Dawn didn't sleep till nearly three in the morning. Even after the thoughts that plagued her left, Dawn still tossed and turned in unrelenting dreams that tormented her through the night.

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**And that's the end of Chapter Two! Thank you so much to those that reviewed the last chapter! To Artemis173, RogueCupcake, and Guest I thank you for the reviews and I'm so glad for your support. I would thank you all personally through private messaging but I'm awkward with technology and keeping up with private messages and reviews is a bit difficult.**

**To everyone: Please let me know how I'm doing. I want to improve my writing. Is Paul in character? Is Dawn too shy/awkward/dreamy? Am I accurately depicting art and music (especially the music)? I don't play guitar. I'm not a musician, so any tips on guitar playing or composing music are useful and welcomed. Thank you all again! -Light**


	4. Chapter 2 (and a half)

**Paul's Perspective (1)**

Paul tried not to doze off in Music Theory 2. Really, he tried to focus. It was Music Theory after all, a class meant to help a musician's knowledge, and Paul should have been listening with rapt attention. Instead Paul was feeling drained after his late night. A certain blue haired girl had occupied his thoughts. Blue hair and blue eyes and a pretty smile, the girl's response from the night before had surprised him and he couldn't sleep very well after he had upset her.

His absent thoughts were disrupted by the teacher's voice.

"Mr. Shinji, what is ritornello and what musical era did it first appear in?"

"It's an instrumental refrain that occurs multiple times." Paul had been barely listening, but he knew his terms and had general knowledge of music. This wasn't anything very new. He leaned back in his chair, popping the two front legs up and thought about the time periods he knew about.

"It has to do with concerto grosso, or Grand Concerto, so it would be…" Paul knew some facts but the time period was escaping him. He let the chair return to all four legs with a thudding noise. "Well, it was the time period before the Classical Era…"

Mr. Furadari scowled. "If you paid attention Mr. Shinji you would know the answer to both of those questions."

Paul's face remained blank and void of any feeling, but his grip tightened on his pen.

"Yes _Sir_." He responded, doing his best to keep his voice level. How could that stupid, annoying, _troublesome_ girl distract him so easily from his lessons?

The flaming-haired teacher gave the homework information to the class right before the bell and Paul was the first one out the door. It was lunch time, thank goodness, and Paul would have a break. He hadn't yet seen Dawn in the lunch room (Well, he had only been at the school for a week and a half) and hopefully his friends at lunch would distract him from thoughts of her.

...

...

...

After Paul got through the lunch line he made his way over to the table where his friends sat. There was nothing particularly unusual about the scene; Serena was blushing at something Ash had said, May and Drew were in another heated discussion about nothing important, Misty was threatening Gary with her mallet and Paul rolled his eyes at the drama.

"Oak!" Paul said as he walked up. "Feet off my chair!"

Paul, instead of waiting for Gary to move, pulled the chair out from under his feet.

"Dude, what's got you in such a bad mood?" Gary complained. "There's no need to get violent…"

"I'm not in a bad mood." Paul told Gary, but his next words countered his former statement. "I just don't want to deal with stupid shit right now."

Gary considered Paul for a moment before a smirk appeared on his face. "There's a girl! You're having girl problems!"

Paul directed his worst glare at Gary and responded, "There is no girl and no problem."

Paul was glad Gary dropped the subject after that. He didn't like lying. In fact, Paul was more often than not brutally honest. But his words were true, in a way, because while there was a girl, there was no problem. Dawn wasn't incredibly important and Paul would get over whatever mood he was in eventually. After the English project he would move on and be done with Dawn. Paul Shinji didn't care much about other people and he refused to let Dawn Berlitz be the one to change him.

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**Hey guys! I am so incredibly sorry for my absence. There was a car crash I was involved in and multiple people were hurt (myself and my brother included) so I've been all over the place with hospital visits and helping my dad with insurance papers and all that fun stuff. My right arm was injured and so typing is difficult for me right now. **

**I decided that since I've been gone I'd treat you guys to a little something from Paul! I think for every two or three chapters about Dawn I'll add one for Paul. I think it blends better instead of adding all my Paul parts at the end. Now, I tried to include some music terms and interactions between characters that are not Dawn and Paul so the story isn't completely void of all the extra characters. Success? I certainly hope so. This hasn't been edited (none of my mini-Paul chapters have been) so please excuse any errors. **

**Thanks for your time! -Light**


	5. Chapter 3

Weeks passed, the English project finished, and Dawn and Paul fell into a sort-of routine. Dawn would silently listen to Paul as he played his guitar every Thursday and Paul would borrow a pen every Tuesday and return it the next day. It was a Tuesday morning that Dawn finally asked the question that had been bugging her for a while.

"Why do you need a pen every Tuesday?" The blunette asked Paul as she handed him the usual black ball point pen.

Paul looked at Dawn and she met his considering look with one of her own.

"Mondays and Tuesdays are song writing days. I leave my pen with my guitar every Monday evening and I don't use that pen for anything but song writing until Wednesday." Paul said to the blunette.

"That's cool." Dawn replied. What else was she supposed to say? The two lapsed into silence and then Paul broke it.

"I'm playing at the art show." Paul offered the information to Dawn. It was up to her to continue the conversation now.

"Really?" Dawn brightened. "I'm supposed to display five pieces of art in the gallery for the show! I'm not sure which ones yet, but I'll figure it out. Are you playing an original song or a cover?"

"Put the mimicked stained glass painting in. The one with the prince with the dragon curled around his shoulders." Paul told the blunette. Dawn's eyes widened. Paul had noticed her paintings? She listened to Paul's next words with interest. "I'm playing two original songs."

"Wow." Dawn was surprised and yet she wasn't. She already knew Paul was good. "What are they about?"

Dawn frowned and looked away when Paul shrugged. Apparently he had talked enough for today and all he was giving her in response to her question was the movement of his shoulders. She didn't expect anything else after that but Paul muttered, "You'll find out at the show… Like everyone else."

…

…

…

"Heyyyy Dawn!" A girl in red ran up to Dawn with a huge smile on her face. "Guess what?"

Dawn laughed as her friend tried to catch her breath. "I dunno May… Does this have something to do with one of your boys?"

May's blush spoke for her and Dawn grinned. "Which one was it? Drew or Brendan? I guess one of them finally got the courage to finally ask you out!"

"Not here!" May laughed and grabbed Dawn's arm. "Let's go to my room, ok? I don't want people to overhear."

Dawn slipped out of May's hold and walked backwards while talking to the brunette. "Oooh I bet it's Drew then, and you want to avoid the rumors and his fangirls!"

"Uh, Dawn, watch—" May winced as Dawn started to turn to see what May was looking at and walked straight into the chest of a guy. Dawn stumbled back and a hand reached out to steady her.

Dawn looked up and immediately felt like a fool.

"Paul! Um, I'm sorry for walking into you." Dawn apologized. She bit her lip and looked at Paul as innocently as she could. "I didn't mean to…"

The blunette knew Paul was always intense, but his glare made her nervous and she fidgeted under his gaze.

"Tch. Troublesome as always." Paul nodded to May and moved around the blue haired girl to continue on his way. Dawn saw the exchange and turned to May again.

"Don't we have stuff to talk about May?" Dawn was now the one to pull the curious May along toward the dorms.

…

…

…

"So then Brendan asked if I'd see a movie with him the next time we go into the city, you know, the trip next week? And then Drew just seemed to come out of nowhere and he told Brendan that I already promised to spend the day with him when I said no such thing!" May told Dawn as her voice raised in volume.

"May, shhh, we need to avoid eavesdroppers, don't we?" Dawn teased and then was quiet at May's look.

"Dawnnnn you shouldn't tease me like that! I'm trying to tell you about my problems!" Dawn was only amused by May's pout and brushed off her complaints.

"So? What happened then?" Dawn asked May. "Did you yell at Drew?"

Dawn watched as May ducked her head to hide her reddening cheeks. Why was May so embarrassed? Unless…

"You've finally picked Drew over Brendan. I never thought I'd see the day." Dawn grinned. She personally liked Drew better than Brendan and fully supported the new couple.

"We're not together!" May protested. "We're just going to hang out for a day. I don't think it's a date."

"It is a date. It is so a date! What will you do when he asks you to be his girlfriend?" Dawn laughed as May covered her red face with a nearby pillow. "Won't you say yes? He's so in love with you that I'm surprised it's taken him this long to man up and get the nerve to take you out."

"Ok, ok, enough about me," The brunette poked Dawn's side and laughed as she moved away, "what's going on with you and Paul?"

Dawn's eyes widened. "Why would anything be going on between Paul and me?"

"Because he actually talks to you!" May told Dawn. "He talks to you more than anyone else! Well, besides Gary, Drew, and Ash…"

"He does not!" Dawn protested. "Why would he talk to me more? We're not even really friends."

Despite Dawn's words she still blushed and couldn't meet May's eyes.

"So if Paul asked you out right now, what would you say? Would you turn him down like you did to Barry and Lucas?" May asked Dawn curiously.

"Paul won't ask me out, so the question doesn't matter." Dawn told May adamantly. She ignored the comment about Barry and Lucas.

"Come on Dawn! Just answer the question!" May insisted. "Would you turn around and run away to avoid the situation or would you face him?"

"I'd… I don't know." Dawn admitted. "He's so… severe, don't you think? Maybe that's not the right word to use. But I can't see him asking anyone out, much less me."

"I dunno." May considered Dawn's words. She looked at Dawn, brow furrowed and fingers tugging at a loose thread. "I really think he likes you. He even has a nickname for you!"

"It's a pretty bad nickname though." The blue haired girl grumbled.

Dawn caught May's eye and felt a smile tugging at her lips. May was grinning like an idiot and the happiness was contagious. Soon both the girls were laughing over nothing and Dawn felt her inner musings and worries over Paul fade away.

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**Hey guys! I'd like to thank my reviewers for sticking with me throughout my sporadic updates and I would like to apologize for them as well. I'm so sorry I've been gone for so long. The accident just drained so much money and I had to pick up extra hours at work to help pay bills and with school ending and finals... Yuck. Plus, AP tests are absolute killers. Anyway, I am, as of today, a high school graduate! YAYYYY! I am so relieved. Again, thank you all, I love you guys, and I have to go now but I'll do my best to update in about a week and a half to two weeks... (Ps sorry this chapter is shorter. I felt terrible about leaving you guys hanging so I updated with less...) -Light1172**


	6. Chapter 4

Dawn didn't often think of her father. Honestly, she put him out of her mind as much as possible. It was odd, she supposed, that she didn't ever want to remember him. Maybe it wasn't odd. Maybe that was normal, and the blunette's thoughts on oddities and normalcy was part of her madness.

Everyone had a bit of madness. Dawn wondered sometimes if she had more than most, even at her school. Madness was what brought out brilliance in the minds of people who accepted it. Art, music, writing… anything creative came from that madness, or at least that was what John Berlitz had always told his daughter.

John Berlitz had always spoken of energy, passion, and taking risks. In some ways he was Dawn's inspiration. He had been an author, brimming with ideas and characters and plots, and he wrote children's books for his little girl. It was just another benefit that they pleased other children elsewhere. The brown-haired man was always changing his tone, always animated, so full of life that no one could ever picture him gone before his time.

And yet he had been taken from Dawn in an untimely death. The bitterness she felt had lasted for years. She painted and slowly, so very slowly, her anger and hurt faded with each piece of art. Still, no matter how much she painted, sketched, or wedged clay, the memory of him in a hospital bed wouldn't disappear.

Dawn despised herself sometimes because of her faults in forgiving. Then she would think, how could one forgive a dead man? It would never matter to him who no longer lived and so why should she try? Who cared if it tore her apart in the process?

The thoughts came this day like they did once a year. Father's Day was nothing but a hassle for Dawn; it brought nothing beneficial to her life and her mood showed from the moment she woke up.

Dawn had dressed quickly and silently, not bothering to do more than run a comb through her hair and put it in a low ponytail, and slung her messenger bag over her shoulder. The blunette walked to the cafeteria and typed her number into the computer. Dawn got an apple and decided to eat some oatmeal which she covered in brown sugar and a small bit of maple syrup. She made her way to a nearby table with one person seated at it.

Dawn took a seat on the opposite side of Paul, three chair lengths away, and started her breakfast. She knew he had seen her and decided to let him speak first, if he wanted to speak at all. For some reason, Paul seemed more moody than usual just judging by his posture and expression.

"Troublesome." He greeted quietly after a couple minutes of silence. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I needed company." Dawn told Paul just as quietly as he had been. "I just had to be close to someone. There's comfort in knowing someone is nearby."

"You can sit across from me if you want." Paul said to the blunette, motioning her to move closer.

Dawn did move over at his offer. The physical closeness was comforting and not stifling and Dawn was relieved. Already she felt a bit better.

"Do you want to talk?" Paul asked Dawn. She was surprised; Paul didn't seem like the type to care about other people's problems, but she needed the words to be released and Paul was in the right place at the right time for her.

"It's my dad. He died seven years ago. This day is difficult because everyone is so fricking happy and they're buying presents and I'm just here being as usual as always." Dawn paused and then continued bitterly, "I hate him sometimes. I hate him for dying. I shouldn't, I know that, but where was he when I needed him the most? He was six feet under, that's where he was."

Paul's response didn't come quickly enough for Dawn. She spoke again, "I'm sorry about this. I don't mean to sound whiny or childish or anything like that. I guess I just needed someone willing to put up with me for a short bit while I vented. I apologize, I don't want to burden you so I'll shut up now."

"It's alright." Paul told Dawn. "You can talk if you want. I'm not going to be burdened by your problems."

Dawn just sighed and shook her head. One hand reached up to wipe away the start of a tear. "I dunno. It's just that May doesn't get it. She's got a great family. Misty gets it to an extent, but her parents died when she was really young so she doesn't remember them. Gary doesn't know his father and his mother left him with his grandfather so she could follow her dreams so he also gets it to an extent, but he hasn't ever been really bitter about his parents. Both Ash and Serena's parents are divorced and that's part of why they get along so well."

"...I get it." Paul mumbled. Dawn looked up at him and saw his eyes focused on his bowl of now mush cereal. At some point in the conversation he had stopped eating. "My mom died in childbirth. My dad resented me for that, thought it was my fault and all, and so I hated her and I hated him. Reggie, my brother, was more of a father to me than my real dad was."

Dawn reached across the table and touched his hand. Her fingers were feather light against his skin and Dawn was sure Paul would move away. Again Paul surprised her. He didn't move his arm or tell her to stop touching him. Instead, his eyes met hers and he moved his other hand to rest on hers. The weight of his hand on hers was yet another comfort and Dawn felt herself relax.

A book slammed down on the table as an energetic teenager appeared next to Paul.

"Hey Paul! And Dawn! You've decided to join us for breakfast this morning?" Ash was as cheery and oblivious as always. He barely took note of Paul pulling away from Dawn as if he were burned and Dawn's reddening cheeks and her hand returning to her bowl.

...

...

...

It was time for the lunch break and Dawn was resting against a large oak tree when she saw him. Hands in his black leather jacket pockets, backpack slung over one shoulder, eyes staring straight ahead, windswept hair… Paul looked like someone out of a magazine. Model worthy. And so Dawn drew him without thinking.

It wasn't intentional. She had just opened to a new, perfectly white, blank page in her iris decorated sketchbook and he happened to be walking by. Unconscious art was free art, not planned, not thought out. It just was. That was what this drawing was. Not conscious art where a person followed guidelines and rules, but truly wild and free art with lots of lines and smudges and wonderful shading.

She started out with the shape of Paul's face and then his features: intense eyes, bold eyebrows, and lips. Hair came next. She pulled out her purple pen and the lines came naturally to Dawn. By this time Paul was already gone from the blunette's sight but his form stayed in her mind.

It was only after the drawing was done that Dawn thought about what she had just done. If someone were to see it she'd be in so much trouble. May would laugh and rub Dawn's so called 'feelings' in her face and Paul's fans would be pissed. The blunette snapped the book closed and tucked it under her arm. It was almost time for her afternoon classes and she figured she best get on to Chemistry.

...

...

...

It wasn't until later that evening that Dawn checked her phone. There were two missed calls from her mother and one text from Paul. Dawn would call her mother first thing in the morning. She was too emotionally drained after the stressful day to deal with more stress coming from her mom.

Dawn put off reading the text until she had finished her homework and gotten ready for bed. When the text was finally opened as Dawn lay in bed, she couldn't help but smile at the words.

_Things always get better. Smile toward the sky instead of the ground and you'll already be looking up._

There was no need to respond right away and so Dawn drifted off to sleep with her hand still holding her phone. Paul definitely wasn't so bad when you got to know him.

* * *

**Hi guys! Sorry if this chapter is a little sad at first, I sorta put some of my own Father's Day emotions into it... Pretty much, I had a bunch written and then Father's Day hit and BAM inspiration but that caused me to scrap like 500 words and rewrite a bunch more plus adding that scene at the beginning... So yeah. This story is planned out to the very end though. I have a short description of each chapter which I'm expanding on and half of the last chapter is written so this story will not go on hiatus. I promise. It will be finished at some point in the nearish future. Just thought I'd let you guys know that :D Please review, it means so much to me, and even if you don't I still appreciate the views/followers/favorite-ors. Thanks everyone! -Light1172**


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